Stories for the future

🎙️ Episode Summary

A short update on how a project changed shape after taking part in the Energiomstillerne program by cCHANGE.

I went in with a plan to build a coalition connected to this podcast. I came out with a different approach. Not a new intention, but a shift in how to move forward.

This episode is about:

Letting go of the idea of building something from scratch

Paying attention to where energy and momentum already exist

Returning to a book project I had put aside

Exploring the human side of the energy transition

I also share reflections on Life After Oil, a UK-based initiative creating space for people transitioning out of oil and gas.

🔗 Links

Energiomstillerne (cCHANGE):https://www.cchange.no/pages/energiomstillerne

Earlier episode with Dina Hestad from cCHANGE: https://vklavenes.substack.com/p/what-norways-energy-transition-needs-537

Life After Oil:https://lifeafteroil.net/

Website:https://storiesforthefuture.com

Substack:https://vklavenes.substack.com

💬

If this resonates, I’d really like to hear from you. You can reply on Substack or reach out via my website.

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe

Before diving into more guests and technologies, I wanted to pause and ask:

What do I actually want this season to do?

In this short solo episode, I share:

• Why collaboration in the energy transition is often misunderstood


• Why it’s less like rowing in sync — and more like rafting


• What this season will focus on


• And how the podcast will evolve going forward

The energy transition doesn’t just need better technology. It needs better conversations.

🌊 Read the Substack Post

I recently wrote about the difference between rowing and rafting — and why real collaboration doesn’t mean moving in perfect sync.

👉 Not Rowing. Rafting. https://vklavenes.substack.com/p/not-rowing-rafting

What’s Coming This Season

• Monthly deep dives into concrete energy solutions


• Conversations across difference (not debates)


• Short reflections on leadership, complexity, and mindset


• Occasional spotlights on people working at the intersection of inner development and outer impact

If this season works, I hope we become a little less certain — and a little more capable of building something together.

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe

This is a short, unscheduled episode.

No guest. Just me.

I’m sharing why I built Future Vision, a simple tool designed to help you explore a possible future before you commit to it.

If you’re navigating a career pivot, building something new, questioning your direction, or standing at a crossroads, this tool helps you:

• Step into a future scenario


• Notice what excites you


• Spot blind spots and assumptions


• Feel what aligns, and what doesn’t

It’s not about prediction. It’s about clarity.

Until March 8. 2026, Future Vision is available free to all Substack subscribers. After that, it moves into the paid Future Fluency space.

If you’re curious, this is your window.

👉 Try it here: https://vklavenes.substack.com/p/what-if-you-could-see-your-future

If you use it, I’d genuinely love to hear what you think!

— Veslemøy

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe

Geothermal energy is often described as a stable, low-emission energy source. Yet in countries like Norway, it rarely features in public conversations about the energy transition.

In this episode of Stories for the Future, I sit down with Stian Engebretsen, Product Manager at Aspen Technology and a long-time geothermal enthusiast, to explore what geothermal energy actually is, how it works, and why it deserves closer attention.

We talk about:

• What geothermal energy is.


• The difference between traditional geothermal and newer technologies like enhanced geothermal systems.


• What is happening in Norway today. And what is holding geothermal back.


• How advances in modelling, simulation, and drilling technology are changing what’s possible.


• Who should be paying attention to geothermal. From engineers and energy professionals to policymakers and curious outsiders.

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This episode is the first monthly deep dive of the season. A format designed to slow down, go deeper, and build shared understanding across different perspectives in the energy transition.

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe

What if mistakes aren’t something to hide or avoid. but something we can actually work with?

In this episode of Stories for the Future, I’m joined by Andrea Wodniok for a playful, honest conversation about messiness, inner critics, and learning to screw up happy.

Andrea works with applied improv, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and the Hero’s Journey. She helps people with public speaking, communication, creativity, and confidence. always with a strong focus on playfulness, presence, and being human.

Together, we explore:

• Why we’re often so afraid of getting things wrong


• What improv can teach us about courage and uncertainty


• How ACT helps loosen the grip of the inner critic


• Why mistakes don’t define us. but often help us grow


• And how a little more playfulness might help us treat both ourselves and each other better

This episode is part of the Creative Space series, where I speak with members of the Creative Space community about meaningful work, good lives, and navigating change with curiosity and care for both people and planet.

🔗 Links & resources

Andrea Wodniok

• Website


• LinkedIn

Creative Space

• Learn more about the community: https://creativespace.community

Listen & join the conversation on Fountain

• Listen on Fountain and comment on the episode: https://fountain.fm/show/HCauLD0VwNtnLP8CZ5KU

On Fountain, you can comment directly on episodes, join the listener community, and support the podcast simply by listening.

🌱 About Stories for the Future

Stories for the Future is a podcast about breaking out of echo chambers, building bridges, and finding meaningful work in a changing world.

You can find me and my work here:

• Podcast & website


• Substack

If this episode resonated, feel free to share it with someone who might need a reminder not to take everything so seriously. And, as always. don’t be afraid to screw up happy.

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I sit down with Charles Odom, solo founder of Painted Circle, a purpose-driven travel platform that’s reimagining how we book — and experience — travel.

Charles shares why being intentional with our travel choices matters now more than ever, how the traditional tourism model is broken, and what it means to travel in a way that benefits both you and the communities you visit. You’ll also hear the story behind Painted Circle, the surprising economics of travel commissions, and why travel can be one of the most powerful tools we have in a divided world.

This is the first episode in a new mini-series spotlighting members of Creative Space — a global community for solopreneurs, coaches and creatives.

💡 What We Talk About:

1. The meaning of intentional travel


2. The hidden costs of online booking platforms


3. Why Painted Circle doesn’t take commissions from tour operators


4. How to create travel memories that truly last


5. The ups and downs of solopreneurship — and the power of community

🔗 Links & Resources:

1. 🌍 Painted Circle – Travel with Purpose


2. 💸 Use code STORIES for a discount on the Travel Pass


3. 🧠 Creative Space Community


4. 🎙️ Learn more about the podcast: storiesforthefuture.com


5. 📝 Subscribe to Veslemøy’s newsletter: vklavenes.substack.com

🗣️ Let’s Connect:

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend, leave a review, or drop me a message. I’d love to hear your thoughts — and your own stories of intentional travel.

Want to be a guest on Stories for the future: Beyond the Bubble? Send Veslemoy Klavenes-Berge a message on PodMatch.

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe

Geothermal at GeoEnergy 2025, Bergen, Norway

A special episode recorded in Bergen, Norway

Did you know the heat beneath our feet could power communities almost anywhere in the world?

In this episode, I take you with me to GeoEnergy 2025, a conference dedicated entirely to geothermal energy — from shallow systems to deep wells and next-generation closed-loop designs.

I share my own journey into geothermal, what I learned at the conference, and short conversations with people working across the field. If you’re curious about geothermal or work in oil & gas and wonder how your subsurface skills can transfer: this one’s for you.

🔊 Voices from the Episode

Featuring short interviews and insights from:

• Bjarte Lønøy, GEAN – Geothermal Energy Association of Norway


• Kirsti Midttømme, NORCE


• Kim Gunn Maver, Green Therma


• Jesper Moberg, Norsk Retningsboring


• Øystein Klemetsdal, SINTEF Digital

What You’ll Learn

• What geothermal energy actually is (in simple language)


• Why Norway has huge potential — and big drilling challenges


• New closed-loop systems (“underground thermos bottles”)


• How oil & gas skills translate directly into geothermal


• Why visibility, communication, and scale matter


• How digital twins can accelerate deployment

💛 Thank You

Huge thanks to GEAN, and especially Bjarte Lønøy and Kirsti Midttømme, for welcoming me into the geothermal community at GeoEnergy 2025.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone curious about the future of energy.

Want to be a guest on Stories for the future: Beyond the Bubble? Send Veslemoy Klavenes-Berge a message on PodMatch.

You can always find more information about the podcast and my work on storiesforthefuture.com

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe

🎙️ Episode: Get Off the Fence – Leadership Lessons for a Warming World

What happens when leadership replaces drama with disciplined choice?

This week, I sit down with Charles Sheppard — author, professor of leadership, and founder of World Bridge University — to explore how systems thinking can help us move from confusion to clarity in the face of climate change.

Charlie has spent decades helping people and organizations escape the Drama Triangle — the cycle of Victim, Rescuer, and Adversary — and replace it with The Leadership Triangle: Visionary, Catalyst, and Coach. Now he’s applying that same framework to the climate crisis.

We talk about why so many people still sit on the fence, how disinformation and social media shape our beliefs, and what it means to lead — in our families, workplaces, and communities — when the stakes couldn’t be higher.

💬 In this episode:

• Why leadership and systems thinking are key to tackling the climate crisis


• How to reach the “middle 60%” who still sit on the fence


• The role of language, storytelling, and education in climate communication


• What we can learn from his new venture, World Bridge University


• How AI (and even biotech!) fit into his vision for a better future

🌍 About Charles Sheppard

Charles Sheppard is a Professor of Leadership, author of Get Off the Fence and Save Your Drama for Your Mama, and founder of World Bridge University. He’s also the cofounder of Arjuna Therapeutics, a biotech company developing breakthrough cancer treatments — and a passionate advocate for systems thinking, education reform, and climate leadership.

🪴 Connect with Charles

• Website


• Book: Get Off the Fence – Amazon


• LinkedIn


• World Bridge University


• Arjuna Therapeutics

🌟 If you enjoyed this episode

Please share it with a friend or colleague who’s ready to get off the fence.

And if you haven’t yet, subscribe to Stories for the Future on your favorite platform — or join me on Substack for behind-the-scenes reflections and future fluency insights.

Want to be a guest on Stories for the future: Beyond the Bubble? Send Veslemoy Klavenes-Berge a message on PodMatch.

You can always find more information about the podcast and my work on storiesforthefuture.com

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe

In this special episode of Stories for the Future, I moderate a panel at the Beyond Oil Conference 2025: Changing Climate Futures conference in Bergen.

Our theme: Actionable Hope in a Changing Climate Future.

We talk about what hope does when the world feels like it’s unraveling — and what it looks like when hope becomes something you act on.

In this episode you’ll hear voices from science, media, creative arts and strategy — and come away with ideas for how to lean into hope, not just as a feeling, but as a modality of change.

👥 Panel & Conference Links

Here are the people on the panel and links to their work so you can dive deeper:

• Kikki Flesche Kleiven — Director of the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of Bergen. Marine geologist by training; leads a large interdisciplinary climate‑research centre.


• Petter Gulli — Founder & Chief Hope Officer at 12YEARS; an outspoken climate optimist, strategist and author of HOPE – A practical guide for climate optimists.


• Thea Emilie Maubach‑Vindnes — Spokesperson for the media initiative Verdens Beste Nyheter (“The World’s Best News”), and also affiliated with the civil‑society group Changemaker. Verdens beste nyheter


• Anne Beate Hovind — Chair of the Future Library project. This is a century‑long literary/art project where 1,000 trees were planted in Nordmarka, and each year one author contributes a manuscript, to be published in 2114. About the project: https://www.futurelibrary.no/ futurelibrary.no



• Conference reference: Beyond Oil 2025: Changing Climate Futures — An interdisciplinary, international biennial conference hosted by the Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET) at the University of Bergen.


• Conference website: https://www.uib.no/en/cet/173079/beyond-oil-2025-changing-climate-futures

Want to be a guest on Stories for the future: Beyond the Bubble? Send Veslemoy Klavenes-Berge a message on PodMatch.

You can always find more information about the podcast and my work on storiesforthefuture.com

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe

What comes to mind when you hear mining? Pollution? Destruction? Now add the word sustainable — does it feel contradictory?

In this episode, I speak with Donna Kitsos, a Singapore-based expert in global markets, energy, and innovation, about what sustainable mining actually means. With a background in coal trading and a career now focused on climate tech and circular solutions, Donna shares how mining is evolving — and why it’s more important than ever to understand that shift.

🔑 Key Topics

• What “sustainable mining” really means


• How innovation is reshaping extraction and supply chains


• The role of AI, biomining, recycling, and circular systems


• Why collaboration and transparency are key to progress

👤 About Donna Kitsos

Donna has 20+ years in financial/physical commodities, venture, and energy innovation. Today, she works with early-stage technologies that transform mining and sustainability from the ground up.

Learn more: prospectinnovation.com

World Economic Forum’s UpLink Mining Challenge

Donna on LinkedIn

Want to be a guest on Stories for the future: Beyond the Bubble? Send Veslemoy Klavenes-Berge a message on PodMatch.

You can always find more information about the podcast and my work on storiesforthefuture.com or vklavenes.substack.com

Get full access to Stories for the Future by Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge at vklavenes.substack.com/subscribe